Peter has had a very rough 4 days as the chemotherapy drugs have made him extremely nauseous despite all the anti-sickness medications. So just when he had started to eat a few mouthfuls again and was getting his old cheekiness back, he went downhill and hasn't been able to eat.
Yesterday afternoon he took 2 turns for the worst. At 4.15 and then 6.15 pm he propped himself up in bed on one elbow, started to say something and then collapsed out of bed onto his head, and had siezures. In the first one, he hit his head on the bedside cabinet at the temple and scraped his cheek but as he "slid" slowly out he didn't do too much damage. He had what looked to be a fit for about 15 or 20 seconds. He settled down and once back in bed seemed okay, but later complained of feeling short of breath, dizzy and his sight in the left eye was fuzzier than normal.
Later on, I thought he was going to the toilet but as he sat up in bed he just tumbled out onto his forehead straight onto the aluminium leg of the IV stand with his full weight. He went into a seizure and was not responding to speech. While I was only a metre or so away from him on the other side of the bed, I couldn't get to him in time to control the collapses but did get help immediately. The second time was worse - perhaps because of the fall directly onto the IV stand. He had a chicken egg size lump on his forehead within a minute and when he came around he was agitated, aggressive and was not making sense in anything he said, while trying to get out of the room. For around 20 minutes he was trying to escape the room, not making any sense and hitting out at anyone trying to restrain him. I talked to him and reassured him the whole time and finally got him back to bed. The nurses gave him a needle (not sure what was in it but probably some form of tranquiliser). Eventually he calmed down and when his specialist arrived 1/2 hour later it was as if nothing had happened.
So he was being sent for a brain scan last night. I came home to get some sleep and am just about to head back to spend the day with him. I will update the blog again as soon as I know more.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Peter was getting a little better yesterday (Tuesday 27 May). He ate some breakfast and a few mouthfuls of food I had brought in for him for dinner(as the hospital stuff is pretty grim, tasteless and dubious in the extreme). He finally had some bowel movements after 2 weeks (sorry for the graphic nature of what I have to report) which was also cause for better humour. However, then he started on chemotherapy in the afternoon and he has rung me this morning (before I go in to spend the day with him) to let me know he now feels pretty nauseous and terrible.
The chemotherapy cycle is as follows: he is on Cisplatin on day 1 and 5FU for day 1 - 4 (that is 24 hours a day via a pump) via a PICC line into the arm, then he has 17 days off and starts the 21 day cycle again. He will have radiotherapy on the next cycle for 10 days. There could be up to 6 of the 21 day cycles over the next 4 months, which will again be through winter which Peter hates.
At the same time he will stay in hospital until he can show he can take enough fluids and eat something but I am hopeful he may be able to come home at the end of this week as he has been a bit "stir crazy" on a few occasions (he's been in for 15 days now). However, we found out last night that the stricture in his oesophagus is right at the base of the throat and the opening of his oesophagus is about the diameter of a ballpoint pen, which means that this is why he has trouble swallowing and it is likely that it will shrink again and need another dilatation or a stent placed inside to keep it open - both of these have risks of perforation and other issues. The stent might be very uncomfortable as well given that it will be so high up in what is left of his oesophagus. So we go one step forward and several back on every occasion. Peter is trying to get one thing at a time to work so that everything can come together in harmony at some stage but unfortunately it's not working out like that at the moment.
He is ambivalent about being in hospital - knowing on the one hand that it is the right place to be for the appropriate drugs, IV drips etc, but also not liking or bending to the hospital regimen.
I will write again in a few days.
The chemotherapy cycle is as follows: he is on Cisplatin on day 1 and 5FU for day 1 - 4 (that is 24 hours a day via a pump) via a PICC line into the arm, then he has 17 days off and starts the 21 day cycle again. He will have radiotherapy on the next cycle for 10 days. There could be up to 6 of the 21 day cycles over the next 4 months, which will again be through winter which Peter hates.
At the same time he will stay in hospital until he can show he can take enough fluids and eat something but I am hopeful he may be able to come home at the end of this week as he has been a bit "stir crazy" on a few occasions (he's been in for 15 days now). However, we found out last night that the stricture in his oesophagus is right at the base of the throat and the opening of his oesophagus is about the diameter of a ballpoint pen, which means that this is why he has trouble swallowing and it is likely that it will shrink again and need another dilatation or a stent placed inside to keep it open - both of these have risks of perforation and other issues. The stent might be very uncomfortable as well given that it will be so high up in what is left of his oesophagus. So we go one step forward and several back on every occasion. Peter is trying to get one thing at a time to work so that everything can come together in harmony at some stage but unfortunately it's not working out like that at the moment.
He is ambivalent about being in hospital - knowing on the one hand that it is the right place to be for the appropriate drugs, IV drips etc, but also not liking or bending to the hospital regimen.
I will write again in a few days.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Latest Update
Today (Sunday 25th May), Peter was able to come home from hospital for a few hours. He was getting somewhat "stir crazy" and as he is currently unhooked from the IV drip and is on pain relief via a sub-cutaneous syringe driver, was able to spend a few hours at home away from the hospital routine which is wearing thin.
He may start chemotherapy tomorrow for around 3 weeks. He has been losing weight rapidly but has started to eat tiny amounts again now (but is refusing hospital "mush") so I am cooking some good Hungarian recipes and blending them to take into him. I can highly recommend Vizvári Mariska's Cream of Mushroom soup as an outstanding recipe and one he has appreciated.
I can, however, say that Rakott Krumpli (apologies to all Hungarians for my appalling spelling on these foods) when blended, is not that appealing to look at, but Peter seemed to enjoy it.
Will update again soon.
He may start chemotherapy tomorrow for around 3 weeks. He has been losing weight rapidly but has started to eat tiny amounts again now (but is refusing hospital "mush") so I am cooking some good Hungarian recipes and blending them to take into him. I can highly recommend Vizvári Mariska's Cream of Mushroom soup as an outstanding recipe and one he has appreciated.
I can, however, say that Rakott Krumpli (apologies to all Hungarians for my appalling spelling on these foods) when blended, is not that appealing to look at, but Peter seemed to enjoy it.
Will update again soon.
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